Best TV ever.
Now before you continue reading, do know that I am not some TV connoisseur or an expert on televisions or someone that professionally sets them up for the most realistic picture possible. Just a guy that was looking for a new TV and went straight to Vizio. Also do know that this review is for people who are looking for a reason to by this TV, like they need to justify buying it out of an impulse.
STORY:
I have been using Vizio for my TV brand for many many years. My previous TV that is now in my room is a 32 inch E series Vizio and it's amazing. And before that I had a 24 inch Vizio TV. That last one is really old. And still works (my mom uses it in her exercise room). That's how I knew I would not regret getting another. They last a long time. And the one I wanted was one that will in fact last me a long time. This is why I went for a 50.
THE PHYSICAL TV:
So at first glance the TV is like whoa. It has a super thin bezel and generally has a thin profile too. It stands out, in a good way of course. It has the Vizio sign on the bottom right corner and on the left corner there's a white LED. This LED is only on when you turn it on and can be adjusted in the TV settings. There is no obvious infrared receiver marked anywhere, it is well hidden. I even tried to figure out where it was but failed. Another part of the TV that is really well hidden is the ambient light sensor. Basically what this does is monitor how much light is in the room and will adjust the TV's display brightness accordingly to be easier on the eyes.
This is the Apple iPhone of TV's when it comes to design. It's really nice. And on top of that, it is really light. This makes it a lot easier on wall mounts and for moving it when either setting it up or storing it for whatever reason.
THE PICTURE:
Again, I am not an expert. That being said, I think the picture is amazing. 1080p never looked so crisp. The colors and brightness and contrast can be adjusted in the settings. Like most TV's it comes with the usual "Cool, Warm, PC, etc." quick selections for whatever you think looks best. What I thought was purely amazing was when the screen goes black. I'm a gamer so during a loading screen sometimes the screen will fade to black and then you'll be in game (this is totally normal). When this TV gets to that point it looks like the TV straight up turned off. But it did not. The deep blacks this TV can display are truly amazing.
Now for viewing, I saw some reviews here from people saying that the viewing angle isn't great and you need to be perpendicular to it for best viewing. Yeah, I do NOT understand that. This TV still looks amazing from the farthest possible viewing angle. Unless you're a professional, you won't even notice it. A normal buyer looking for a great TV will find this and be enticed. As for the refresh rate, it is 60hz. The 120hz effective refresh rate basically takes the display panel's 60hz and does this doubling effect for each frame and creates the illusion of 120hz. It's really quite genius actually. Looks nice!
GAME MODE:
For you gamers there is a game mode and it is easily turned on in the Picture settings! And yes it definitely makes a difference. Basically what it does is reduce the input lag from your console or PC to the TV to provide smooth and responsive gameplay.
THE TV APPS:
So I got this TV about 2 months ago. I have gotten to know it and its features. Before this TV I didn't have a smart TV instead I had a Chromecast plugged into it. Well I don't really use Chromecast anymore haha. It's still in there in case I want to watch Plex! (Plex is a media streaming service for your in-home movies, TV shows, and music. You can also share your library with others to stream from.) The Vizio TV does have a Plex app but you need to have a Plex membership to use it (you have to pay the people who made Plex). Now this isn't the TV's fault. This is just the Plex owners. On Chromecast you don't need a membership. So that is why it is still there. Other than that the TV can do anything else.
THE SETTINGS:
How I'm going to rate this is by comparing it to phones, yeah that's right. This TV has a medium amount of settings and options to go through. Android phones have a lot of settings for you to tweak and iPhone's have much less so you can just use it and get started right away. This TV is right in between where there's settings you should go through and set up but there's not too many to where it is a pain.
COMPARISON TO THE COMPETITION:
When I went looking for a new TV I instantly checked out Vizio here on Amazon. I added it to my cart after some typical research and before I checked out I decided to just see the other options. You know, Sony, Samsung, LG. Mainly some name brands and then some other cheapo brands. As expected, those name brand TV's were way more expensive for the same TV class as this Vizio. There was nothing that stood out from this one other than their brand name reliability. As you know from my story section of this review, Vizio has great reliability too. Just from my experience.
The cheapo brands were just terribly reviewed and I knew from my friend not to get those either. He had a Coby TV that was huge and really cheap. It lasted about a year before the power supply failed and had to be replaced. Coby has since gone out of business and for good reasons.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
Umm. I need to actually think about this. Hold on.. I guess maybe the TV remote? It should have a dedicated Youtube button on it. I mean, it has Netflix, Amazon instant video and Hulu I believe but there needs to be a Youtube button. It would be handy. And that is my only complaint.
CONCLUSION:
Vizio is in the medium market, not super expensive name brand and not some cheaply made piece of trash. I always recommend Vizio for they're great quality and reliability. I'm surprised Vizio hasn't become an official name brand and hasn't risen up in the ranks to where Sony and Samsung are. But to me, Vizio will always be above them.
| Brand Name | VIZIO |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 33 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 48.46 x 10.24 x 29.96 inches |
| Item model number | E550i-B2 |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | 55-Inch |
| Specification Met | Energy Star |
| Special Features | Flat |
| Item Weight | 33.04 Pounds |
| Standing screen display size | 55 Inches |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
